Experts warn against low fat kids' diets

Parents hoping to keep their children healthy should ensure there is some fat in their diets rather than opting for low-fat alternatives, a new study suggests.

Current dietary guidelines recommend that children are given a certain amount of fat in their food to meet their energy and nutritional needs as they grow.

Very low fat diets that are also low in calories do not meet these needs and could hinder children's development.

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But with warnings of an impending obesity epidemic - one million children in the UK are predicted to be obese by 2010 - low fat food may be appealing for concerned parents.

US researchers maintain however in Nutrition Journal that parents should follow guidelines as their study found that children can burn more body fat than adults for each calorie spent.

They studied body fat oxidation in ten adults and ten children aged between six and ten.

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All were healthy and had a body mass index within the middle range. In the three days prior to testing they were fed the same diet.

Scientists used a number of methods to calculate how much fat they oxidised during nine hours of low physical activity over three separate days.

Although the amount of fat burned in a day did not differ greatly between children and adults, children burned considerably more fat relative to the amount of energy they used.

Women and girls were also found to use fat at a higher rate than men and boys of a comparable age.

Commenting on the results, John Kostyak from the Pennsylvania State University said: 'Prepubescent children may oxidise more fat relative to total energy expenditure than adults for the purpose of supporting normal growth processes such as higher rates of protein synthesis, lipid storage and bone growth.'

As such the report concludes: 'Consistent with current dietary guidelines, a moderate fat diet is appropriate for children within the context of a diet that meets their energy and nutrient needs.'

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